Water Well Decommissioning Program

Water Well Decommissioning Program

Dangers of Abandoned Wells

Abandoned wells that have not been properly plugged can provide a direct path for contaminants to reach groundwater. Pollutants such as fertilizer, animal wastes or agricultural chemicals may travel into an aquifer through an improperly abandoned well and endanger nearby drinking water sources. Physical hazards are also a possibility. People and animals may physically fall into an improperly plugged well. To prevent these hazards, the Nebraska State Law requires abandoned wells to be "decommissioned." *Landowners are responsible for having wells decommissioned on their property and all wells must be plugged by a licensed well driller.*
*Cost Share Available*
The Central Platte NRD Cost Share Program provides financial assistance through reimbursement of 60% of the actual cost (up to $700 maximum) for all water wells other than hand-dug wells. Hand-dug wells receive up to $1,000 maximum. An application for cost-share payment must be made on the CPNRD Well Decommissioning Application Form. The application must be in the name of the landowner with your corresponding Social Security number or tax ID number. *Call the CPNRD office at (308) 385-6282 to receive an application.* The actual plugging of the well and the claim for payment must be completed *within five months* from the date the application is approved. There are no extensions. Approval by the Central Platte NRD board of directors is required prior to abandonment. After the application is approved, the form will be sent to the landowner for completion and certification by the well driller.
Process of Decommissioning a Well
There are three steps involved in plugging a well: filling, sealing and capping. The pump and all other equipment must be removed before plugging the well. The first step is filling the well with treated sand or gravel. Then the well is sealed with a grout material, such as bentonite or neat cement; which is placed between different water-bearing zones of the well. The last step is capping the well with a sanitary seal. *As of July 1, 2001, the State Legislature made it illegal for a landowner to decommission his/her own well unless it is a driven sandpoint well.*
How to Cap a Well
	Use a sheet of durable metal, placing it completely over the opening of the well.
	To secure the metal, you must insert a bolt into the concrete or the casing of the well. You may want to use caulk to eliminate any small openings where the metal is placed.
*Replacement Water Well*
A replacement well is a water well that replaces an abandoned well within three years of the last operation of the abandoned well and is constructed to provide water to the same tract of land as the abandoned well being replaced. Replacement wells must be registered with the Department of Natural Resources before replacement wells can be dug. The Central Platte NRD will help you with this process at no cost, however, the DNR will charge a fee of $100 to register the well. If a replacement well is being drilled and the old well is being abandoned at the same time, the landowner may apply for immediate cost share which will be awarded immediately if funds are available.

Your Central Platte NRD contacts are:

Kelly Cole, Programs Coordinator
Email: cole@cpnrd.org
or
Dan Clement, Water Resources Specialist
Email: dclement@cpnrd.org

Phone: (308) 385-6282 Fax: (308) 385-6285

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